Of all the motorcycle brands, Yamaha is one of the few brands that has been able to strike an almost perfect balance between performance and reliability. These two generally mutually exclusive features are the keys to any positive motorcycling experience. Riders are quick to defend their favorite brand, which inevitably sits on one side of the fence or the other. But, with Yamaha you don’t have to choose, and this has become the main point of differentiation for the Japanese brand.
Versatility is a priority for Yamaha
This marriage between performance and reliability makes for some exceptionally versatile motorcycles. In an era where interest in motorcycles capable of serving more than one purpose has never been greater, it would be fair to say that Yamaha had a competitive advantage. With an understanding of what it takes to build a great touring bike and what it takes to build an effective off-road motorcycle, the Japanese brand was able to produce one of the best middleweight adventure bikes on the market.
While the original Ténéré 700 was great, people quickly realized that it had its limitations. There were compromises in some areas, and over the years Yamaha began to address many of these issues. For the most part, these issues were really just minor complaints, but that didn’t stop the brand from coming up with a bike that may look like another trim from the outside, but it’s much more than that.
Ténéré 700 World Red proves Yamaha listens to customer feedback
MSRP: $12,999
The original Ténéré 700 had only a few flaws, none of which were dealbreakers. It was underpowered, and it lagged behind its competitors in terms of electronics. While initially marketed as a more back-to-basics option in an effort to reduce weight, it became quite clear that most adventure riders wanted more technical features. The Japanese brand responded quickly, adding a ridiculously large TFT dash, traction control and, most importantly, ultra-soft suspension. With the World Red, Yamaha takes it to another level by adding IMU and fully adjustable KYB suspension.
A highly streamlined and reliable parallel-twin powers the Ténère range
Power: 72 hp
In some cases, omnipresent may have a negative connotation; This can mean generic, and worse, boring. We can assure you that there is nothing boring about CP2. It may not sound so powerful on paper, but in the real world, where it counts, it’s a highly tractable engine with a strong midrange. Any bike equipped with it is fun to ride, and it’s easy to see why it has become so popular.
An underrated, often overlooked trait
Most new parallel-twins are quite economical and reliable (with one famous exception). But CP2 is not your average twin. It’s actually one of the most reliable motorcycle engines currently in production, which is saying something, especially when you take into account all the low-compression air-cooled singles that are still floating around.
Having been in production for several years now, it has proven capable of providing riders with one of the most underrated features: peace of mind. Any bike used for travel must be reliable. Not knowing whether you’ll get home safely when you’re so far from civilization will destroy whatever happiness you had before. Anyone who has owned a fun, yet unreliable vehicle in the past will understand the importance of this special “feature”.
The World Raid gets some impressive upgrades
With many of its competitors having all kinds of tech features, Yamaha decided to equip the World Red with an IMU. This is a game-changing bit of technology that was once reserved for halo models, but is now being installed on all types of motorcycles these days. The only real drawback is that it adds a bit of weight, which is kind of a thing for any bike with off-road ambitions. But, the benefits are there for all to see.
It not only gets World Red Cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control, but also slide control and a dedicated off-road mode. This allows the rider to break traction off-road without fear of losing control, and the system will only intervene when it looks like the rider is about to lose control. Naturally, while this is meant to help you enjoy off-road, it won’t stop you from crashing if you try to take it mid-turn.
Plus, if you really want to explore your limits off-road, you can turn off both ABS and traction control. However, we wouldn’t recommend this unless you’re a really experienced adventure rider. Apart from the new ride modes, you also get cruise control and the same big TFT dash that you will get on the base model, but Yamaha leaves the quickshifter in the options list, even though it is pre-wired for it.
Although the technical specifications are impressive, it is not the main point of difference between the World Red and the base model Ténéré 700. The reason you would buy this model over the base model is because of its fully adjustable KYB suspension. It offers more travel, and you also get a steering stabilizer. Due to all these features the weight of the bike has increased to 485 pounds.
But, most of that is thanks to its massive 6.1-gallon tank, which actually takes up about half the extra weight in the form of fuel. Unlike some bikes in this class, the World Red’s fuel tanks are in a more conventional position, and this will make a bike that is considered a little top-heavy, more top-heavy.
curse of versatility
For most riders who want to use the bike as an exploration tool, all of these extra features will be welcomed. Compared to the cost of doing these modifications yourself (many owners have made similar modifications to the suspension), World Red looks like a cheap deal. But it’s important to remember that any bike so versatile will always be a compromise.
With a full tank of gas and stuff, you’re now dealing with a bike that weighs almost 500 pounds, which can be a handful off-road. The extra weight above the centerline will also affect handling on the road, and it’s still not as comfortable as some other ADVs. That said, this is exactly what adventure enthusiasts around the world asked for, and for that, we can really applaud Yamaha for listening.
Source: Yamaha Motorsports
